The present invention relates to inflators or gas generators that utilize the combustion of a solid fuel as a gas generant means for the purpose of rapidly inflating vehicle crash protection bags, commonly called airbags.
A variety of forms of gas generators or inflators for the above-noted airbags have been disclosed in a number of pieces of prior art. For example, one such inflator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,342 to Adams, et al, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference. Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,086, cites the Adams, et al, patent and describes in some detail the process of manufacturing that particular airbag.
Another patent of interest with reference to the present application is U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,862 which discloses a gas generator for an airbag for crash protection in a vehicle and which includes a chamber provided around a cylindrical pressure reservoir filled with gas releasing materials.
While the devices of each of the above cited patents may have its own particular benefits or advantages, in keeping with the greater current emphasis on more simplified construction, the present invention seeks to minimize the number of parts involved in the construction of an airbag gas generator.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to significantly reduce the number of parts in the design of a inflator or gas generator for an airbag or the like.
Another object is to simplify the assembly of the parts of the inflator by providing the filter means in the form of a screen pack having a wire mesh design requiring no in-house assembly.
Another object is to provide an inflator wherein the securing of the parts of the inflator with each other and with the airbag may be accomplished most efficiently.
A specific object is to provide an improvement in the absorption of heat from the generating gas before it enters the airbag. A further specific object is to increase filtering action required by efficiently removing solid particulate material from the gas.
Yet another object is to provide a convoluted pathway for generated gas flow including a complete reversal of direction, but to extend that pathway, and to do so by a simplified construction when compared with the prior art.